Red Tide
by NCISVU
Summary: Gibbs is a former sniper with the Marine Corps Special Forces; Tony a former SEAL. The government calls on them to be the prototype team for a new agency—the Bureau of Special Operations. Their missions will be dangerous and their backup limited as they ensure the safety of American citizens all over the globe. Alternate Universe. Slash. First in the Red Tide Series.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This story is rated M for a reason. There will be graphic sexual content between two males. If that's not your thing or if you're not of legal age to read that sort of thing turn back now!

* * *

**Red Tide**

**Chapter One: Bureau of Special Operations**

NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs arrived at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in plenty of time for his 0800 meeting. He had no idea why he was there or what was going on. Director Tom Morrow had told him of the meeting and he'd obeyed without question.

He looked at the other man sitting in the small office as he walked over to sit next to him. No doubt they were there for the same meeting. The man was a little younger than him and judging by his posture, shorter spiky hair and the air of confidence surrounding him, Gibbs guessed he was former military. The guy was definitely handsome too. If Gibbs had found him in a bar he no doubt would've taken him home.

"You get summoned here too?" the younger man asked, looking Gibbs over the same way Gibbs had been analyzing him.

"Mm-hmm," Gibbs hummed sitting in the chair next to him. There were no other seats in the office except for a large unoccupied desk.

"Tony DiNozzo," Tony said by way of introduction.

"Gibbs."

"Any idea why we're here?" Tony asked. "I mean, I'm assuming we're here for the same reason. I doubt it's a coincidence."

"Rule 39," Gibbs said, "there's no such thing as a coincidence."

"Whose rule is that?" Tony asked.

"Mine," Gibbs said looking over at the man.

Before Tony could respond a door opened and both men were called into a conference room where several other people were seated around a large table.

"Special Agent Gibbs, Detective DiNozzo," the man said, "welcome. I'm Colby Bryce, Deputy Attorney General. Have a seat." He indicated the two empty chairs in the middle of one side of the table.

Gibbs and Tony sat and were introduced to the Attorney General, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security, Acting Director of ATF, Chief of Operations of the DEA and the directors of the FBI and US Marshals. Whatever was happening was no small thing, not with that many bigwigs gathered in one room. They were asked to keep the topic of the meeting confidential and signed papers promising to do so before the meeting started.

"The group of us here today along with a few others not in attendance have been in talks about a new program we're very excited about," Bryce said. "The United States Department of Justice is looking at forming a new agency, the Bureau of Special Operations. The agency would primarily be responsible for the wellbeing of American citizens in other countries. The agents would be responsible for organizing hostage rescue ops, search and rescue missions, tracking down fugitives who flee to other countries; things along those lines. They'll have access to a wealth of information and the newest technology available, things no one else gets to use yet."

"These agents will work dangerous missions and top secret cases," Attorney General Joel Bates spoke up. "I'm talking the kinds of things you don't read about in the daily newspaper. Some don't think the agency is necessary. They don't understand why we can't continue operating as we've done before."

"Why is this agency necessary, Sir?" Gibbs asked respectfully.

"Instead of drawing on the resources of other agencies we'd like to have one agency dedicated to working the international cases," Bates explained. "We'd like to keep the FBI and the Marshals focused on what's going on in the homeland. We'd like to keep our military focused on their jobs. Instead of pulling from all these different agencies and weakening them to try to build a team of people who've never worked together before we want to have agents trained and ready to tackle anything that's thrown at them."

"This new agency will have parallels to the military," Bryce, the Deputy Attorney General added. "The way you operate will include aspects of military as well as civilian police work. Agent Gibbs, you were chosen because of your advanced training as a sniper with the Marine Corp Special Operation Command as well as your special reconnaissance training and your work with force recon. Detective DiNozzo, we picked you because of your hostage rescue training, special recon and unconventional warfare training with the Navy SEALs. You were both handpicked out of thousands of possibilities."

"Were' not just the first two suckers who are gonna agree to this craziness, are we?" Tony asked. "I mean, you're not just going down some list until you find somebody who's willing to do this."

"No, Detective," Bryce said with an amused grin. "You guys were at the top of our list and although we do have alternates, you're the first ones we've talked to."

"Where's the rest of the team, Sir?" Gibbs asked.

"That's where things get a little tricky," Attorney General Bates said. "Remember how we told you some didn't understand the need for this new agency? This is a trial run. For now you two are it. You guys will be a prototype team tasked with paving the way for a new, in our opinion, vital agency. If the program is successful, the Bureau of Spec Ops will get its own director and the agency will start functioning independently like the other agencies represented here."

"You guys won't be completely on your own though," the Secretary of Defense said. "You'll have the support the Armed Forces. I'll coordinate with any military in the area and you'll have backup, access to transportation, a home base, whatever you need."

"Until the agency can gain its independence we'll still have to draw on the other resources out there," Bryce said. "Our hope is that those opposed to this can see how beneficial it would be to have agents trained to work outside the borders of the US. You two have been around enough to understand how different the world is out there and you've been trained to adapt and work under any conditions. We need that."

"We'll reconvene in six months and either disband or make things official," Attorney General Bates said. "If you guys can hang in there and rough it for six months things will start improving. We've arranged for some perks to make it a little easier on you guys as well."

"What's the chain of command?" Gibbs asked.

"You'll be team leader, Gibbs," Bryce said. "DiNozzo, you'll be second. You'll report directly to me. I'll be acting as director until we can hopefully make things a little more permanent. The group of us here today will be overseeing things and making the bigger decisions together."

"Where's our home base?" Tony asked.

"Hawaii," Bryce answered. "There's an old camp on the western shore of Oahu. It's been abandoned for years. We had a house built for you guys. For now you'll have to share and unfortunately you'll be working out of the house as well but there's six square miles of land; plenty of room to expand. It's out of the way of the touristy areas and there's a small airfield right across the street. You guys'll have your own plane and pilot. His name's Ace. He can fly everything from a paper airplane to a 757. Both of you will have a new car waiting for you as well—one of the perks Joel was talking about."

"What do you say?" Bates asked. "Are you willing to give it a shot?"

"I want a Mustang," Tony said, "convertible, red with a white racing stripe."

"Is that your only condition?" Bryce asked more amused than annoyed. The former SEAL wasn't concerned with the life or death implications of the job. He just wanted a nice ride. That was one of the many reasons both he and Gibbs had been chosen. They were fearless.

Tony thought it over before giving a slight nod of his head. "Yeah," he said.

"Done," Bryce said. "It'll be waiting for you at the airport. What about you, Agent Gibbs?"

"We'll have everything we talked about here today in writing?" Gibbs asked.

The Deputy Attorney General nodded. "And if for some reason the program ends after the six months you'll have jobs to come back to."

"I'm in," Gibbs said.

"Great," Bryce said. "You guys fly out in ten days. I need you both to come back tomorrow and do some paperwork. Once you arrive in Hawaii, you'll have another ten days to settle in and get organized then the hard work starts. We look forward to working with you both."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Ka'ena Point** **Command Post**

Ten days after their first meeting at the DOJ building, Gibbs and Tony were boarding a passenger plane headed for Honolulu with a brief layover in Minnesota's Twin Cities. Ace, their pilot, was a resident of Hawaii. He and their plane were already on the island so they'd have to suffer through a cramped ride with dozens of people they didn't know. The accommodations were a little more luxurious than they were used to in the military but some of the passengers were not the kind of people you wanted to travel across the country with. Tony had come up with a way to pass the time though.

"What about that guy over there?" he asked pointing to a passenger a couple rows ahead of them.

Gibbs peeked over and studied the man. "Lawyer," he said.

"Hmm, I'm thinking CEO," Tony said.

"Tony, what's the point of this game?" Gibbs asked. "We're never gonna find out what the guy does for a living. Why are we trying to guess?"

"Good point," Tony said. "I could go ask him."

"What would you think if some stranger came up to you and asked you what you did for a living?" Gibbs asked.

"Depends," Tony answered.

"On?"

"On what they looked like," Tony said with bright smile. "If it was someone I was attracted to I'd tell 'em I was a millionaire. If it was somebody I wasn't then I'd tell 'em I didn't have a job."

"What would you do if I asked you?" Gibbs asked almost without thinking. He knew he was taking a risk with the question but the words had just sort of slipped out. They'd been teasing each other most of flight. He could just blow it off as another joke if Tony reacted badly.

"I'd definitely be a millionaire," Tony answered with a sly grin.

Gibbs liked that answer but wasn't quite sure what to do with the information yet so he continued with their little game. "If you're a millionaire why would you be flying on a jumbo jet?" he asked.

"Easy," Tony answered, "my plane's in the shop."

Gibbs smirked and nodded. Tony had a sharp mind and an answer for everything it seemed.

"So what's your full name?" Tony asked. "Gibbs seems formal and impersonal."

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs," Gibbs answered watching to see Tony's reaction. Some laughed, some teased and some rolled their eyes but Tony wasn't rude about it. The young man looked deep in thought making Gibbs wonder what he was thinking about. He half expected a joke to come out of Tony's mouth but it didn't.

"I'm just gonna call you LJ, if that's ok," he finally said.

"Sure," Gibbs replied.

The intercom dinged and the pilot came over the loudspeaker to tell them they were nearing their destination. Tony put his tray table up and Gibbs handed their napkins and empty cups to the flight attendant walking by. They had exactly forty six minutes between the time their first plane landed and their second plane took off. In airport minutes that wasn't very long. By the time they deplaned and made it to the next terminal it would already be time to board. The only thing they hoped for was enough time to hit the head.

The second leg of their trip was spent sleeping—or trying to sleep. In the military it was normal to slept on long flights. You never knew when you'd get to sleep again so you took advantage of the down time. It also helped pass the hours and kept you from over thinking your upcoming mission. Being prepared was one thing but over thinking often led to second guessing and that could be dangerous.

On the passenger plane, sleep seemed impossible. The little one sitting behind Gibbs couldn't keep his feet off the back of Gibbs' seat and the young girl behind Tony was using her tray table to play with her plastic animals. On top of that, the overcast skies were making it a very bumpy ride.

When it became clear they weren't going to get any sleep they started talking again but unlike the joking and goofing around on their first flight, the conversation turned serious. Gibbs leaned about the death of Tony's mother, spending his childhood in boarding schools and being left at the altar on what was supposed to be the happiest day of his life.

Tony learned a few vague details about Gibbs' first wife and daughter and the three ex-wives that followed. He found out Gibbs had also lost his mother at a young age and the struggles that came after that. Both men seemed to agree civilian life left a lot to be desired after the excitement of their jobs in the military but the promise of their new jobs providing a similar thrill had them both anxious to begin.

After a long flight of being jerked around in every direction imaginable, Gibbs and Tony couldn't get off the plane fast enough. Despite some enlightening conversations, frustration had soured their moods. After a brief stop at baggage claim to collect their luggage they were off, leaving behind groups of giddy tourists being corralled by cheerful tour guides giving leis and kisses on cheeks as greetings.

Just as Deputy Attorney General Bryce had promised, there was a red Mustang convertible with a white racing stripe waiting for Tony. The key had been overnighted to him two days prior with a note telling him where to find it parked. Gibbs' vehicle was waiting for him at the house.

Tony slowly made his way around his new car, checking over every inch and squealing over every little detail. Gibbs just wanted to get out of there, preferably before all the hotel shuttles started leaving and they got stuck in line behind them.

"You planning on leaving sometime today or should I go find a cab?" he asked.

"Sorry," Tony said putting his bags in the trunk.

"Don't apologize. It's a sign of weakness," Gibbs said. "That's rule six."

"How many rules you got?" Tony asked getting in and turning the car on.

"A few," Gibbs answered. "Can we go?"

"One more thing," Tony said. He pushed a button and smiled from ear to ear as the top started lowering. His good mood was back. "Alright, where're we going?"

"We need to get to Interstate H-1," Gibbs said looking at the map. "We wanna go west."

"Go west, young man," Tony said with a chuckle. His smile faded when he saw the serious look on Gibbs' face. "Let me just figure out how to get out of this maze of airport roads."

The roads were well marked and Tony had no problem finding the interstate. As they left the busy airport behind and drove through the open countryside Tony could see Gibbs was starting to relax. The smell of the salty ocean air, the warmth of the breeze against their skin and the endless breathtaking landscapes proved to be very therapeutic. Gibbs navigated while Tony drove and played with all the features in his new car.

"What kind of car did you ask for?" he asked after Gibbs had pointed him towards Interstate H-2.

"Jeep," Gibbs answered.

"What kind?"

"Wrangler."

"Nice," Tony said.

"Figured it'd be a good vehicle to have in Hawaii," Gibbs replied.

Less than an hour after leaving the airport, they were turning into the former campground that was their new home. The small airfield Bryce had talked about was literally just across the street. It couldn't have been more conveniently located.

"Now why couldn't we have flown into that airport?" Tony grumbled as he made the turn into the camp.

"Then you wouldn't have been able to drive your new car as far," Gibbs pointed out.

"That's true," Tony said.

"Slow down," Gibbs said, "I wanna read this sign."

"Ka'ena Point Command Post. Home of 101st Special Operations Division—Red Tide," Tony read off the sign at the entrance.

"_Have either of you ever heard of a red tide?" Bryce asked. They'd been filling out paperwork for hours. He felt the need to break up the monotony of the task._

"_I vaguely remember hearing something about it," Gibbs said. "I don't remember any specifics."_

"_Doesn't sound familiar," Tony said._

"_In simple terms, red tide is an oceanic algae bloom that can give the water a reddish tint," Bryce explained. "I'm sure if you talked to a scientist about it they'd have a lot more to say but basically it has the potential to be harmful to the ocean life which in turn can be harmful to humans who eat seafood that's been affected. The interesting thing about it is not all red tides have toxins or are harmful."_

"_Why are we gettin' a science lesson?" Tony asked._

"_Because, DiNozzo, your squad's nickname is Red Tide," Bryce said, "partly because of where your home base is and partly because just like the natural phenomenon, you guys have the potential of being harmless or deadly depending on the situation."_

"_Oh, I see what you did there," Tony said with a grin. He turned to Gibbs and held his fist up. "Red Tide." _

_Gibbs bumped fists with him, satisfied with the nickname that had been chosen._

"An entire post with one building," Gibbs said.

"That must be a first," Tony replied as he followed the long road around to the house that had been built for them.

Both men were taken aback when they saw the house. It was big and very nice and surrounded by beautiful landscaping. They were right in the middle of a tropical paradise. Tony parked his Mustang next to the metallic silver four door Jeep Wrangler sitting in the driveway.

"They got you a Rubicon, LJ," Tony said admiring the Jeep. "These are top of the line."

"I think they're trying to bribe us," Gibbs said taking everything in.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"Tony, you've worked for the government before," Gibbs said. "They're cheap. They don't buy people Mustang convertibles and Jeep Rubicons and look at the house."

"Yeah, that's not like any government housing I've ever lived in before," Tony agreed, "but what are they trying to bribe us for? We already agreed to do the job."

"Maybe they're hoping all these toys will be incentive enough for us to get the job done so they can get approval for their new agency," Gibbs said.

"Incentive enough for me," Tony said. "I already never wanna leave."

"Point proven," Gibbs said tossing Tony's duffel bag over to him then grabbing his own.

The inside of the house was just as nice as the outside. The front door opened into a large, fully furnished living room. Oversized windows allowed plenty of natural light to fill the spacious room. The house horseshoed around from the living room on both sides. On one side was the master bedroom overlooking the backyard and the ocean, the master bathroom, a large office and another bathroom just off the living room. On the other side there were two bedrooms then the kitchen and dining room with a spectacular view of the ocean.

Out back, in the middle of the horseshoe there was a figure eight shaped pool with a round hot tub overlapping at one end. There was a hammock anchored to the house as well as a small outdoor kitchen and just beyond their yard was the beach and the Pacific Ocean. They couldn't have dreamed up anything more perfect.

"They're definitely trying to bribe us," Gibbs concluded after having a look around.

"And it's working!" Tony said. "Wanna go swimming?"

"I don't have a suit," Gibbs said. "I don't even remember the last time I went swimming."

"I don't have one either," Tony said. "We could just swim in our underwear. You a boxers or briefs kind of guy?"

Gibbs raised his eyebrow in Tony's direction. "We just met and you're already interested in my underwear?" he teased.

Tony chuckled at Gibbs' response. He should've known that was coming. "I guess we could go find somewhere that sells suits," he said. "I doubt it'd be that hard considering where we are."

"I've been cramped in planes and cars all day," Gibbs said. "I'll swim in my underwear."

Both were used to changing, showering and even going to the bathroom in front of the other guys in their unit. There was little privacy in warzones. Often times they found themselves practically sleeping on top of each other. There was no room for modesty. Since both were former soldiers, they were both used to the lifestyle. They stripped down to their boxers, grabbed some towels from the bathroom and headed out to the pool.

Tony dove into the deep end, wanting to get the shock of the cold water over with quickly but he found the water wasn't cold at all. It was cool enough to be refreshing without taking your breath away. He subtly checked Gibbs out as he walked down the stairs into the shallow end. He wondered if the man was just teasing him earlier on the plane or if he really was interested. Gibbs had a nice body. The few years he had on Tony didn't take away from his appearance at all. He had a firm chest peppered with graying hairs, muscular arms and legs and from the looks of it his boxers were hiding a very nice package.

Gibbs wasn't oblivious to Tony's wandering eyes but decided to ignore it for the time being. He disappeared under the water to get every part of himself wet before reappearing and leaning against the side where his feet could just touch the bottom of the pool. He stretched his nicely tanned arms out and rested them on the side of the pool.

"You can have the master bedroom," Tony said wading into the shallow end.

Gibbs looked over at him, caught off guard by the offer. He didn't really care which room he got. They were all nice. He'd pegged Tony as someone who cared though. "Why?" he asked.

Tony shrugged and smiled. "'Cause you're team leader," he replied trying not to make a big deal about it.

Gibbs was learning quickly that Tony used smiles and jokes to hide his pain and insecurities. He didn't want the young man to feel like he had to put up a front with him but he knew it'd take time to build trust. He wasn't exactly a master at communicating his feelings either. He decided not to let Tony off the hook with the vague answer. "Why, Tony?" he prodded.

Tony was surprised at Gibbs' insight. It was almost as if he could read minds, not that Tony believed in that kind of thing but Gibbs seemed to have the ability to see right through him. "Truth is I usually don't sleep in a bed. I kinda prefer to sleep on the couch in front of the TV but if that's gonna bother you I won't do it."

"Doesn't bother me," Gibbs said. He knew there was more to the story but he decided to drop it for the time being. He'd push more later.

The two waded around in the pool for while, letting their bodies relax after the long day. It was nice to be able to stretch out and both of them loved being in the water. Tony had practically learned to be a fish during SEAL training and Gibbs had gone through extensive training in the water as well. It was a natural environment for both of them.

* * *

With Hawaii being six hours behind Washington DC, Gibbs and Tony's internal clocks were definitely a little out of whack. Dinnertime and bedtime seemed to come in the middle of the Hawaiian day. Neither wanted to succumb to exhaustion so soon but traveling had a mysterious way of sucking the energy right out of a person.

After a refreshing dip in the pool they headed inside, changed and got started on dinner. Airplane food left much to be desired and their stomachs were both grumbling for something with substance and flavor. The kitchen cupboards were fully stocked with all kinds of food and drink, including alcohol. Someone had apparently done their research because there was plenty of Tony's favorite beer and Gibbs' favorite bourbon among other things.

They were kind of at a loss as they searched the cupboards for something to make. Neither were the type to cook for pleasure and experiment with new recipes. They both cooked out of necessity and had the number of a few takeout places on speed dial.

"Do you cook, LJ?" Tony asked.

"Steak, in my fireplace," Gibbs answered. "You?"

"We don't have a fireplace," Tony said. "I can make pasta ala DiNozzo which is basically just spaghetti."

They decided on spaghetti since it was quick and easy. Tony got to work boiling some water for the noodles and browning some burger. He usually made meatballs but he was too tired and hungry to deal with that. Gibbs cut up some peppers, mushrooms and onions to make the sauce heartier and the meal more filling.

"Did you see any parmesan cheese in the cupboards you looked through?" Tony asked.

"I don't think so," Gibbs answered popping a piece of red pepper in his mouth.

Tony started opening cabinet doors again, searching for the cheese. You couldn't have spaghetti without parmesan cheese. The third cabinet he opened had him cocking his head in confusion. "Uh, LJ, do you have any idea why we have a cupboard full of spam?" he asked.

Gibbs moved over next to Tony and looked at a shelf with more spam than he'd probably consumed in his entire life. "Not a clue," he said just as confused as Tony. "Hand me those green olives though. They'll go good in the sauce."

Tony handed Gibbs the olives, ignored the spam and opened the next cupboard. "Found it," he said happily.

He added the noodles to the boiling water while Gibbs added the vegetables to the sauce. The ten minutes it took for the noodles to cook seemed to go on forever. As simple as it was, the meal smelled delicious and had both their mouths watering. The timer going off was like music to their ears.

"You know, we should've made garlic bread while we were waiting," Tony said as he strained the noodles.

"You should've thought of that sooner," Gibbs said. "Now you're gonna be stuck with bread and butter."

"I'll just fill up on pasta," Tony said.

Gibbs grabbed a couple cold beers from the refrigerator while Tony filled two pasta bowls then they headed for the living room.

"I wonder if the cable's been hooked up yet," Tony said plopping down onto the sectional.

Gibbs passed him the remote from the end table and Tony turned the TV on to find that the cable was indeed hooked up. They had everything they needed and they'd hardly had to lift a finger. Both settled in for a peaceful, relaxing evening.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Home Base**

Tony woke the following morning when the hall light was flipped on. He watched as Gibbs walked across the living room wearing nothing but a towel.

"Mornin'," Gibbs said when he realized Tony was awake. "Forgot my duffel."

"Morning," Tony replied. The hall light provided just enough illumination for Tony to make out Gibbs' figure in the early morning hours. He watched with interest as the man grabbed his bag then walked back across the living room and disappeared down the hall again. _Hot, wet and sexy,_ Tony thought approvingly.

He sat up on the sectional and rubbed his hand through his messy hair. It was much earlier than he usually got up but that damn time difference was messing with him. He stood, grabbed his bag and headed for the bathroom, yawning as he traipsed across the living room floor.

After a shower and a shave Tony opened the bathroom door and was greeted by the smell of coffee and the sun just starting to peek in the windows. Most of Hawaii was still in bed but that made no difference to either Tony or Gibbs. Tony headed for the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of lucky charms then sat down at the dining room table with Gibbs.

"Gonna be another long day," he said conversationally. All their gear was scheduled to arrive that day. They'd have computers to set up, weapons to organize, 'toys' to tinker with and gear to store.

"Mm-hmm," Gibbs hummed, watching the tide come in as he drank his coffee. The large windows facing the ocean provided a magnificent view as dawn broke.

"Obviously we'll set up the computers and other electronics in the office," Tony said getting right down to work as he ate.

"The gun safe's in the closet in the master bedroom," Gibbs said. "We can keep our gear in there too."

"You sure that's gonna give you enough room for your stuff," Tony said. "I know we're working out of the house but I don't want either of us to be surrounded by work all the time, if that makes sense."

"I get what you're saying," Gibbs said after thinking it over. "Ideally, I'd like to keep things as consolidated as we can. If we keep the electronics and some of the smaller equipment in the office and keep the guns and bigger stuff in the closet I think that'll help us stay a little more organized rather than having stuff scattered throughout the house."

"That makes sense," Tony agreed. "We should get a deadbolt for your closet door so we can make sure it's secure when we're not around." There was already a deadbolt on the office door. Crime was low in Hawaii but with the sensitivity of the information they needed for their jobs they weren't willing to take any chances.

"Good idea," Gibbs said.

Their first delivery came bright and early at 0800, although in the military that wasn't very early at all. A captain from the Marine Base on the east side of the island dropped off their weapons and ammo. They had everything from handguns to long range sniper rifles and everything in between.

Both had been taught never to fire a weapon without cleaning it first so they got to work cleaning them before they put them away. They shared stories while they worked, talked about their favorite weapons and their likes and dislikes. Part of their military training included being able to fire any weapon that was put in their hands, no matter how simple or advanced it was. They both looked over their arsenal and made sure they knew how to operate each piece.

In the middle of cleaning the weapons, UPS showed up with the next delivery, their night vision gear. They had binoculars, cameras, goggles, scopes and more; everything they would need to give them the advantage on nighttime missions. Both were familiar with the equipment and had used it on several occasions. While Gibbs continued cleaning the weapons, Tony checked over the night vision gear to make sure it was working properly.

A steady stream of visitors dropped off box after box of equipment all day long. They didn't even have time to finish unpacking one box and checking it over before their living room was filled with several more. Their favorite delivery of the day was the pizza they'd called for around lunchtime. They took their food into the kitchen and enjoyed a welcomed break.

"Pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese," Tony said around a mouthful of pizza. "This is the only kind of pizza worth eating, LJ."

"I like mine with some onion on it," Gibbs said pulling a piece of pepperoni and onion pizza out of the box. "Gives it a little bite."

"No veggies for me," Tony said. "Not on pizza. Pizza's the one food you get to skip eating your vegetables."

"Not when you have a wife," Gibbs said with a laugh.

"Or four," Tony teased. "You know, I bet we could find you a beautiful island girl and you could go for number five."

With pizza in his hands, Gibbs opted for giving Tony a kick in the butt. They'd talked about wives the day before on the plane and Gibbs had insisted he wasn't ever getting married again. Women were more trouble than he needed.

"Or an island boy," Tony said keeping up the teasing tone even though he was fishing for information.

Gibbs raised his eyebrows but continued eating and didn't respond. He'd found an island boy alright… too bad he was off limits.

After their lunch break was over, they continued unpacking and putting things away. A few of the bigger boxes held their body armor which made them quick and easy to empty. The big pieces were put into Gibbs' closet and the large boxes were tossed into the garage with the others to clear up space in the living room.

The deliveries continued and Gibbs and Tony opened packages to find some things they were familiar with and some they weren't. They played rock, paper, scissors to determine who had to read the instruction manual and figure out how the stuff worked so he could teach the other. That seemed like the fairest approach until Tony lost.

Tony's whining was met with teasing and playful mocking as Gibbs continued what he was doing. The two shot glares and exchanged smacks whenever the other walked into range. They were having already having fun and all they were doing was unpacking. It was clear they were going to get along just fine.

By the time dinnertime rolled around the deliveries had finally stopped. They sat down at the kitchen island and ate what was left of their pizza from lunch then got right back to work. They had ten days to get everything accomplished but neither man was the type to quit in the middle of a project. The end was in sight and they weren't going to leave it unfinished, not even for a night.

The last thing they worked on was setting up the computers. Unlike the rest of the deliveries that had been in perfect working condition, the computers were missing a few parts. Two of the four had no mouse, a few cords were missing, one set of speakers was gone and the external hard drive was nowhere to be found. They also needed brackets to mount the screen to the wall and the projector to the ceiling.

It quickly became obvious to Tony that Gibbs wasn't going to be any help setting up the computers so he made a list of missing parts and sent him off in search of the local Best Buy. Gibbs was more than happy to run the errand if it meant he didn't have to deal with the computers. He hated computers.

He took the list, grabbed the keys to his Jeep and headed out. It was nice to get out of the house and enjoy some fresh air after being cooped up inside all day. He had no idea where Best Buy was but he was sure if he drove around long enough he'd find one. The island wasn't that big after all. If worse came to worse maybe he could figure out how to work the OnStar thingy and have them send directions to the GPS unit in the Jeep.

* * *

Tony set up the computers as best as he could with the parts he had then got to work on the security cameras. The entire property was covered with high definition cameras that looped footage to the screens in the office but none of them were operational yet. He figured he'd have to cart a ladder around to each unit and plug it in or turn it on but it turned out all he had to do was remotely activate them. With the flip of a switch all of them were transmitting images to the monitors in the office which they'd decided to call the war room, just because it sounded more exciting.

"I think you've earned yourself a break, Anthony," he told himself. He decided to take a quick dip in the pool before Gibbs returned. Since no one was around and he was sure he'd be out before Gibbs got back, he decided to forgo his boxers and swim in the nude.

He was floating on his back, staring up at the huge full moon and bright stars when the front door closed and startled him. He ended up going underwater before his feet found the bottom of the pool. He hurried out but quickly realized he hadn't brought any clothes or even a towel out with him. The towel had been an oversight but he'd expected to be out by the time Gibbs got back so he'd just left his clothes inside.

Gibbs saw Tony climbing out of the pool through the sliding glass door in the living room and headed out. He was a little surprised to find him naked.

Tony couldn't figure out what to do as he stood in front of the other man. Should he cover himself up? Should he be embarrassed? Should he try to explain? He'd been naked in front of teammates a thousand times before but LJ was different. He liked LJ. No, he couldn't think like that. He couldn't let his body show his interest. He struggled to find something to say but couldn't. Luckily Gibbs spoke up and ended the awkward silence.

"Do you go skinny dipping often?" he asked.

"Uhh, well, I um, I wasn't expecting you back so soon," Tony stuttered. _Not cool, Anthony,_ he scolded himself, _pull yourself together!_

"I was gone for two hours," Gibbs pointed out.

"Guess I lost track of time," Tony said laughing it off and trying to act natural. "There's something exhilarating about being naked outside."

"I can see that," Gibbs said glancing down at Tony's hardening cock.

Tony had felt himself start to harden and tried to stop it but couldn't. His hopes that Gibbs wouldn't notice were—well, ridiculous really. Of course Gibbs would notice. He was standing in front of the man without a stitch of clothing on. Nonetheless, he cursed his body for betraying him.

"I got the stuff," Gibbs said holding the shopping bag up.

"Stuff?" Tony asked, his mind far away from the project they'd been working on. "Right! Stuff! I uh, I'll just go get some clothes on."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows in amusement and smirked slightly as he turned to go back inside. He hadn't expected to come home to a naked Tony but he wasn't going to complain. He was just glad he had something covering himself. Seeing Tony in his boxers was one thing but seeing it all was enough for his cock to start showing some interest as well.

Tony was still off limits though. Their job depended on both of them remaining objective. Besides, it was probably just feeling the gentle breeze against his skin that had excited Tony he concluded. "Keep telling yourself that," he whispered under his breath. He grabbed the drill and a screwdriver and got back to work. They were almost done, finally.

"Sorry 'bout that," Tony said as he entered the war room where Gibbs was hanging the brackets for the screen. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Don't be," Gibbs said. "This is your house too. If you wanna swim naked then swim naked." He knew he might regret that later but he was definitely interested in seeing Tony again—all of Tony.

Tony smiled and relaxed. He didn't want Gibbs to be mad and he most certainly didn't want things to get awkward between them. Maybe he was just being overly sensitive since he liked the guy but everything appeared to be fine between them.

"So, how'd you translate what was on the list to all this?" Tony asked dumping out the bags of merchandise.

"I'm not as incompetent as you think," Gibbs replied.

Tony cocked his head, a trace of a smile on his face. "LJ, you couldn't figure out how to plug the computer tower into the wall," he said.

Gibbs looked over at Tony but couldn't think up a comeback. He had him there. "Salesman gathered it for me," he admitted.

Tony just laughed and nodded his head.

Gibbs smiled and turned back to his project.

Tony finished hooking up the computers while Gibbs mounted the screen to the wall then they worked together to mount the projector to the ceiling. A long day's work ended just after 10:00 that night.

"I think I'm gonna head back out to the pool," Tony said. "I'll keep my underwear on if you wanna join me."

Gibbs nodded and headed into his bathroom to grab a towel. On his way outside he went around to the kitchen and grabbed a couple beers from the refrigerator.

The pool water was warm in contrast with the cooling night air. The sun was long gone and the moon was high in the sky. Tony had lit the tiki torches which provided a nice ambiance. They weren't the fake tiki torches you'd find at a cheap party store. They were authentic Hawaiian tiki torches. Alcohol eased the awkwardness that seemed to surround the pool and the two were soon talking like nothing had happened.

"This reminds me of my college days," Tony said as he moved from the pool to the hot tub. It was much easier to enjoy his beer relaxing in the hot tub than swimming in the pool. "We actually had a hot tub in our frat house. We had some extra money, took a vote and the hot tub beat out the pool table by a narrow margin."

"Bet that made you guys popular with the ladies," Gibbs said settling in across from Tony.

"Oh yeah, it was always full of half naked girls during frat parties," Tony said, "and when they weren't around we had some fun of our own. I'm sure you know how that goes."

"I was never in a fraternity," Gibbs said. "Didn't go to college. Enlisted in the Corps right outta high school."

"Nothing wrong with that," Tony said. "You did good for yourself. My dad insisted I go to college. Supposedly he had millions and he threatened to cut me out of his will and blah, blah, blah… I was supposed to take over the family business, whatever, whatever…" Tony rolled his eyes and shook his head then smiled over at Gibbs.

"Didn't care about the inheritance?" Gibbs asked.

"Ya know, I thought I did," Tony said, "but I found out I really don't. I'm not very good at school. I can do the work but I just get so bored. It wasn't challenging me like I needed so I dropped out, joined the Navy, went right from boot camp to BUDs and now, every night when I lay my head down on my pillow, I know I've helped make the world a better place."

"The ultimate brotherhood," Gibbs said with tingles running down his spine. They both loved their country so much they were willing to sacrifice everything.

"Yep," Tony said. "I've never experienced anything like it. I already told you Mom died young. Dad was the very definition of an absentee father. I used to try to get his attention by screwing around but that never worked. Didn't have any siblings. The SEALs filled a huge void in my life; they gave me direction." He paused to sip on his beer as he thought back over his life. "What about you, LJ? Why'd you join up?"

"Escape," Gibbs said. "After my mom died, my dad and I didn't get along that great. I was full of anger and hurt. The Corps offered me an escape and an outlet for my anger. Spec Ops offered me the challenge I needed."

"Thank God for the military," Tony said raising his beer.

"Yep," Gibbs agreed clinking his bottle against Tony's before both men took a swig.

The more beer they drank the less serious the conversation got. The two weren't drunk by any means but they were definitely relaxed.

"You got a wild side, LJ?" Tony asked. He was definitely curious about the man sitting across from him. There was something alluring about Gibbs that went beyond his good looks and tough outer shell. Some invisible force seemed to be drawing Tony to him, or maybe he was just horny. He wasn't exactly sure.

"Depends," Gibbs said. "What do you classify as 'wild'?"

"You know," Tony said, "streaking, Jell-O shots, pranks, hazing."

"We pulled some stuff in the Corps," Gibbs said with a smirk, "but rules were a lot stricter and consequences were worse than a frat house."

"Yeah," Tony said with a laugh, "we didn't have any consequences. What's the craziest thing you've done?"

Gibbs thought for a moment before answering. "When I was twelve I stole my dad's car and went for a joyride all over town."

"Twelve?! You were driving at twelve?" Tony asked. "Did your dad find out?"

"Oh yeah," Gibbs said with a laugh. "I drove right by the store he owns and honked the horn. He took me down to the jail and had the sheriff lock me in a cell then lectured me about how I was going to end up there if I continued down the path I was on."

"LJ's a rebel!" Tony said proudly.

Gibbs nodded, smiling at the memory. "What about you?"

"I dunno," Tony said. "I was always doin' crazy shit. I suppose way up at the top of the list is streaking down the street during homecoming. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people saw Junior."

"You an exhibitionist, Tony?" Gibbs asked. "I came home earlier and you were naked. Now you're telling me you streaked down a busy street."

"Maybe," Tony said with a devious grin. "I did a strip dance for the guys in my frat house one night. It was a dare. Earned a lot of dollar bills though!"

"You swing both ways?" Gibbs asked.

"Kinda," Tony answered, "I mean I do when it comes to some things."

"You ever been with a guy before?" Gibbs asked. He was curious and Tony had opened the door.

"Once," Tony said.

"And?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm indifferent," Tony said with a shrug.

"Top or bottom?" Gibbs asked.

"Bottom," Tony answered.

"He wasn't doing it right," Gibbs said matter-of-factly.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked with definite interest.

"If he was doing it right, you wouldn't be indifferent," Gibbs clarified. "I could make you fly, Tony. Well, not you 'cause there's a rule."

"Another rule?" Tony asked laughing. "This I must hear."

"Rule number twelve," Gibbs said, "never date a coworker."

Tony slid around the bench seat so he was right next to Gibbs. "We're not coworkers, we're partners," he said leaning closer to Gibbs until his mouth right next to Gibbs' face.

Gibbs turned to Tony with the hint of a smile on his face. Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe he was just caught up in the moment. He only hesitated for a moment before leaning in and meeting Tony in a kiss. Gentle pecks turned passionate and Gibbs was soon prodding Tony's mouth open with his tongue as he rested his hand against his cheek.

Tony opened up for Gibbs without hesitation, his hands resting on the other man's sides, his thumbs brushing across the skin under them as they tasted and explored each other's mouths. When they broke apart for air, Gibbs pulled back.

"We can't do this," he said brushing his thumb affectionately over Tony's cheek before stepping out of the hot tub.

"Yes we can!" Tony insisted, not meaning to sound so desperate. He stood and watched Gibbs wrap his towel around his waist. He was willing to do anything to get the man back in the water with him, or anywhere else for that matter.

Gibbs shook his head as he headed for the house. As aroused as he was it wouldn't take much for Tony to convince him. Disappearing to his room seemed like the easiest way to fight temptation.

Tony's shoulders sank as he watched Gibbs leave. He dropped back into the hot tub, disappointment turning to anger. "I only know three of 'em but I hate your rules already, LJ!" he yelled at the house.

"Go take a cold shower, Tony," Gibbs called back.

Tony whipped his head around in the direction of the house, surprised Gibbs had actually heard him. A shower was a good idea though. "Come on, Junior," he muttered, "I'll take care of you." He wasn't entirely sure why he talked to his dick sometimes. He'd started doing it in his adolescent years and just never stopped.

He grabbed his towel and headed inside. He knew he was overtired which meant he wasn't thinking clearly. The fact that he had more blood in his lower regions than he did in his brain didn't help matters either. When he got his head on straight he definitely had some things to figure out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Wanted **

Wednesday morning was awkward to say the least. Gibbs was the first one out of bed. He showered and got the coffee going while Tony remained on the couch pretending to be asleep when in reality he was deep in thought. To say he was confused was an understatement.

He'd had countless one night stands in the past but that was with people he knew he'd never see again. LJ was his new partner. He couldn't avoid him. For at least the next six months the two of them had to share the house. Maybe Gibbs had been right to walk away. What did he expect to happen if they'd gone all the way the night before? What did he want? Why couldn't he get the guy out of his head?

Gibbs walked into the living room and stared at Tony still lying on the couch under his quilt. He knew Tony was awake. The sun was pouring in the windows and it was getting late into the morning. His internal clock was still getting him up before dawn and he knew Tony was still adjusting to the time change as well.

"Scoot," he said softly as he patted Tony's leg. "I know you're awake."

Tony pulled his knees up and rested his feet on the middle cushion giving Gibbs a place to sit. There were two other cushions on the shorter side of the sectional. Tony didn't understand why Gibbs couldn't just sit there but he didn't say anything. He found he was actually quite angry about the previous night but he wasn't completely sure why.

"I'm sorry about last night," Gibbs said putting his coffee on the end table next to him. He tugged the quilt away from Tony's face so he could look at him.

"About what?" Tony asked not intending to sound so angry. "Leaving me all hard and unsatisfied?"

"For leading you on," Gibbs answered patiently. He didn't blame Tony for being angry. After all, he had been the one to initiate the kiss. Tony might've provoked it but he could've ignored him.

"Thought apologies were a sign of weakness," Tony replied, unsure of what else to say.

"They are," Gibbs said, "but not between friends. I shouldn't have messed with your emotions like that."

Tony pulled his arm out from under the quilt and rested it across his forehead as he released a deep sigh. "I'm confused, LJ," he admitted, all the harshness gone from his tone. "I wanted you so bad last night. I've spent all morning trying to tell myself it was the alcohol or it was because I haven't been with anyone in awhile but I'm just lying to myself."

"Tony, it _can't_ happen," Gibbs said. "When we're out in the field our focus has to be one hundred percent."

"I'll still have your six," Tony insisted. "Work is work. Play is play."

"Damn it, Tony, what do you want?" Gibbs asked. He couldn't help the frustration in his voice. He didn't want to stop last night either. He'd been thinking about that kiss ever since but there was a reason for rule twelve, a damn good one. "Am I just convenient? Are you gonna try to tell me you love me? Is it just to take the edge off?"

"I don't know!" Tony said, his tone matching Gibbs'. "I don't believe in love at first sight. I'm not trying to use you as some easy, convenient release. I don't know! That's why I said I'm confused. I'm confused, LJ! I've never been so… messed up like this before."

Gibbs watched as Tony calmed and waited for him to continue.

"People have been walking in and out of my life ever since my mom died when I was eight," Tony said, "nannies, schoolmates, friends. I was bounced around so much I never knew if I was coming or going. My dad only values people for what they can do for him. He takes and takes and takes and never gives. The only solid thing in my life was the SEALs—you complete your mission, you protect your brothers and that's it. Black and white. Now there's all this gray area and I don't understand it."

Gibbs' pager interrupted their conversation. His eyes didn't leave Tony's as he pulled it off his belt. "It's Bryce," he said. "Get up. Put some clothes on. We'll talk to him in the war room." He stood and paused to rub his hand over Tony's head on his way by. A simple touch just to make sure Tony knew he cared.

* * *

"How are you guys settling in?" Bryce asked staring at them through the large screen they'd mounted to the wall the night before. "Do you like the house?"

"It's very nice," Gibbs said. "Not what we expected."

"Just one question," Tony said, "why do we have a cupboard full of spam?"

Bryce chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "Spam is a delicacy in Hawaii," he said. "It's sometimes referred to as the Hawaiian steak. It's so popular you can order it at McDonalds and Burger King. Consider it a housewarming present; a welcome to Hawaii gift."

"That's uh, kinda crazy, Sir," Tony replied glancing over at Gibbs to see what he thought.

Gibbs just raised his eyebrows at his partner. He definitely preferred real steak and there was no way spam would change that.

"Listen, I know we said we'd give you guys ten days to settle in but we just got word a dangerous felon's been spotted in San Quintín, Mexico," Bryce said. "A vacationing tourist recognized him from a news broadcast and called us. Are you guys operational?"

Gibbs glanced over at Tony, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. "You ready?" he asked.

"Let's do it," Tony said with a smile.

"I'll fax you the information," Bryce said. "Watch your backs. Make us proud, boys."

"You got it, Sir," Gibbs said.

After a quick call to Ace, their pilot, Gibbs and Tony packed then headed to the small airfield across the street from the command post. It was mainly used for sky diving lessons but was fairly vacant most of the time. They'd been granted free use of the property and rented a hangar to keep their plane in. Ace already had the plane out and was doing his preflight check.

"A gulfstream, nice," Tony said.

"She's a beaut!" Ace said wiping his hands on a rag then extending his arm to the men. "Aloha, name's Ace."

"Tony," Tony said as he shook the man's hand.

"Gibbs," Gibbs said also shaking Ace's hand.

"Well, you guys are in good hands," Ace said. "Been a pilot all my life and I've flown all kinds of aircraft. I flew for the Army during Nam. I've flown fruity tooties to their private islands and I fly for personal pleasure as well."

"Fruity tooties," Tony repeated with a laugh.

"You know," Ace explained, "those highfalutin types who think they rule the world."

"Oh, I know alright," Tony said with a nod. His father was one of them but Ace didn't need to know that.

"Welcome aboard," Ace said. "I'm just doing some last minute checks right now. We should be airborne in about twenty minutes."

Like their new house and cars, their plane was also quite impressive. The seats were two-tone leather and more the size of a recliner than an average airplane seat. As they walked into the cabin there were two seats facing each other on each side of the aisle with a table in between. Behind them, on one side of the plane there were two more seats facing each other but without a table between them. On the other side there was a couch.

Behind that there were two loveseats facing each other with a table in between and on the other side there was a cabinet with a couple laptop computers and a flat screen TV that could be used for entertainment or communication purposes. Just past the seating area was the kitchen and bar and beyond that was the lavatory. They were going to be traveling in style.

"Nice, huh?" Ace asked walking up behind them.

"Nice is an understatement," Tony said. "I need to send a thank you note to whoever bought this baby."

"Don't have much need for notes," Ace said.

"You bought this?" Tony asked.

"With the government's money of course," Ace clarified. "The billionaire who'd originally ordered this wanted a black and tan interior not the medium and light tan that was put in. I just happen to know his pilot and got this baby for a steal. It's always good to have connections otherwise we'd be putzing around in a tin can."

"We appreciate it," Gibbs said. He knew they'd be spending a lot of time on the plane and was grateful to have such a cozy atmosphere.

"Mahalo," Ace said. "Glad you approve."

Thirty minutes after leaving their house, they were airborne. Normally it would've taken that long just to get through airport security. Both men were impressed. They settled in opposite of each other in two of the chairs and got to work. There were maps and paperwork spread out on the table between them, Tony had one of the laptops out and Gibbs was reading the police report that had earned their suspect a spot on the Marshals most wanted list.

Bradley Shea wasn't an average criminal. He was fearless, brutal; it seemed he had no weaknesses. He'd secured a spot on the most wanted list by killing two US Marshals with his bare hands after he'd tortured them for nearly twenty four hours. Their deaths were slow and painful and the Marshals were eager to bring him to justice.

Gibbs and Tony felt like they had the advantage over the fugitive. They had the element of surprise on their side and with any luck Shea had settled into his life south of the border and grown complacent. With what little information they had, there wasn't much they could do to plan. They bounced a few ideas around, looked at a map of the area and secured themselves a rental car.

Both familiarized themselves with Shea, looking over all the information they could find on the thirty one year old fugitive. He'd served time for drug possession and assault. Like most criminals, his crimes were getting progressively worse as time went on. His mom had died when he was a teenager but had been ill for years prior. His dad was a workaholic, just trying to keep up with the medical bills. Bradley had worked at a construction site for a short time giving them a clue about where they might find him.

By the time the plane touched down they had a good idea about where to start and how to proceed. They picked up their rental car and headed for the police station to let them know what was going on.

"We've seen him around town," Miguel, the lead officer told them in Spanish. "We don't know much about him. He's never caused any trouble. We'll keep an eye out for him."

"He's dangerous," Gibbs said also speaking Spanish. "Approach with extreme caution."

"We'll call you right away," Miguel said. "We don't want your fugitives hiding out in our town. It's peaceful here. We want to keep it that way."

"Thank you," Gibbs said. The three men shook hands then Gibbs and Tony headed out. It was time to head for the bar Shea had been spotted at and hope he showed up again.

Gibbs and Tony's casual dress helped them fit right in with everyone else at the bar. They found a table near the back where they could see everything that was going on and ordered cheeseburgers and beer for dinner. The beer was more for show but a few sips wouldn't hurt their primary objective.

They watched and waited, taking everything in as they ate their dinner. Tony had the drunk act down perfectly without overdoing it. He cheered loudly at the soccer game on the TV, laughed occasionally at something Gibbs said and made frequent trips to the bathroom although that was more to get a closer look at the other patrons than relieve his bladder. Gibbs was much quieter and more subdued. He played the part of the tough guy. He had bad ass written all over his face, warning anyone against messing with him. Together they were the perfect team.

After their meal they chatted with some of the other patrons. Both spoke Spanish and had no problem communicating with the locals. The two played the part of tourists passing through town on their way to Cabo and no one questioned it. A younger female seemed to take a special interest in Tony and Tony played along, buying her drinks and flirting with her.

Gibbs watched out of the corner of his eye as he played pool with one of the other patrons, not liking what he was seeing at all. He tried not to show the jealousy he was feeling but was having a difficult time hiding it as he watched the young woman grind against Tony on the dance floor and trail her finger across his chest at the bar.

Tony quickly picked up on Gibbs' jealousy. Originally he was just being nice to the woman, doing his job and playing the part but making Gibbs jealous turned out to be an added perk. Perhaps he was just getting back at the man for leaving him hanging the night before or maybe he enjoyed the possessiveness he saw in Gibbs' eyes. Either way, Tony couldn't help but feel like he had the upper hand in the little game they were playing.

They stayed at the bar until after 10:00 that night, snacking on appetizers, pretending to drink a lot more than they actually were, listening carefully to everything everyone was saying and talking to the others. When it became obvious Shea wasn't going to show up they headed out. They hadn't learned much but Tony's new friend had certainly soured Gibbs' mood.

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to spend the night in this dumpy town," Tony grumbled as they got in the car. "Not looking forward to sleeping in a roach motel."

"I got a friend about an hour south of here," Gibbs said. "We can stay with him." He didn't want to spend the night in a rundown motel any more than Tony did. Mike's place would be quieter, nicer and safer. It was worth the time it took to get there.

"Awesome," Tony said.

The ride down the coast was very quiet. As the miles passed, Gibbs started to calm. He reasoned that he'd been the one to turn Tony away so he really had no reason to be jealous if Tony was flirting with that young woman. It wasn't like he was ever going to see her again anyways but Gibbs couldn't seem to get past that possessive streak he felt.

Tony also pondered what was going on between them. Usually if he got turned down he'd just move on to the next person but there was something about Gibbs. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he wanted Gibbs. There was still some confusion in his mind about why he wanted him so bad but he was done questioning it. He wanted Gibbs, period. He was pretty sure Gibbs wanted him too. He just had to figure out a way around those damn rules.

The sun was long gone by the time Gibbs parked the rental car at the small beach house but a light coming from the living room window told him Mike was still up. He and Tony grabbed their things and headed for the house.

"Mike," Gibbs called out as he walked into the house.

"Probie," Mike greeted happily, "wasn't expecting you. Welcome."

"This is kind of an impromptu trip," Gibbs explained. "This is Tony, my partner. Tony, this is Mike, my former boss at NCIS." He dropped his bags and sat down on the couch. Tony followed his lead while Mike sat back down in his rocking chair.

"You guys working a case all the way down here?" Mike asked.

"Kind of," Gibbs said. "I'm not with NCIS anymore."

"Oh, who ya with?" Mike asked.

"Secret government type thing," Gibbs answered vaguely. "It's a baby program."

"Ah," Mike said, "I won't ask any more questions."

"Thanks," Gibbs said. "You mind if we stay with you for a day or two?"

"My door's always open to you, Probie," Mike said, "and any friend of yours is a friend of mine. The guest bed's all made up. One of you'll have to sleep on the couch."

"I will," Tony volunteered quickly.

"He sleeps on the couch at home anyways," Gibbs said, "and he's got a bed there."

"If that's where he wants to sleep I'm not gonna judge," Mike said. "There's beer in the fridge. You two are welcome to it but I'm gonna be a bad host and make you get it yourself."

"We actually just came from the bar in San Quintín," Gibbs said.

"Are you telling me you drove down here drunk?" Mike asked with a wink and a grin.

"Just had enough to make it look good," Gibbs said.

"Your mark didn't show?" Mike asked. They may have been tightlipped but Mike had been an investigator long enough and worked enough cases to make an educated guess about what was going on.

Gibbs shook his head.

"You got a TV around here anywhere?" Tony asked looking around the living room.

"Nope," Mike said, "and even if I did you wouldn't get any reception out here."

"You'll survive," Gibbs said. He knew having the TV on helped Tony sleep but he'd have to do without while they were there.

After a short visit, both Gibbs and Mike headed to bed leaving Tony alone in the living room. He felt a little lost without a TV but he'd done without before. He was worried that without that background noise to focus on, his thoughts would start getting away from him and he'd end up lying awake all night thinking; remembering things he wished he could forget.

He stripped down to his boxers, stacked the two pillows he'd been given on one end of the couch and spread out the sheet and blanket then laid down. The little shack on the beach was far from the city lights but the moon illuminated much of the living room and the windows were open providing a nice breeze and filling the room with the fresh night air. Tony realized how lucky he was that Gibbs had a friend they could stay with. Mike's place was small but it was clean and felt a lot homier than a cheap motel room.

As Tony let his body relax he thought back to their evening at the bar. He replayed every single one of the jealous glances and possessive looks Gibbs had given him while he and Selena danced and talked and it made him smile. Jealousy meant Gibbs cared. It gave him something to work with which gave him hope.

It took a split second for his thoughts to turn dirty. As he straightened his boxers and made himself comfortable, he found himself wondering what Gibbs wore to bed. Their first morning in Hawaii, Gibbs had come out to retrieve his forgotten duffel which meant he must not wear pajamas otherwise he would've come for his things the night before. He seriously doubted the man had slept in the jeans and polo he'd worn on the plane trip from DC which only left his underwear. Just for the hell of it Tony decided Gibbs probably didn't sleep in his underwear either, that way he could picture him naked.

The thought alone was enough to arouse him. He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep if he kept picturing Gibbs naked. He rolled onto his side and sighed heavily as he stared out at the starry night sky. The gentle waves rolling in were almost like a sweet lullaby. He started counting the stars in the sky and drifted off much quicker than he thought he would.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Meeting Pablo Sanchez**

Tony woke the next morning when he heard noises coming from the kitchen. A curse at the coffee pot told him it was Mike but he could hear the shower running so he knew Gibbs was up too. He rose from the couch and stretched then pulled a pair of shorts on before folding his blankets. When the couch looked neat he headed for the bathroom and knocked on the door before poking his head in.

"LJ, I gotta pee," he said.

"Come on in," Gibbs said.

"Thanks."

The jealousy seemed to be gone after a good night's sleep. Tony was thankful. It had been fun while it lasted but he didn't want to spend the day with a grumpy Gibbs. He took care of his business then headed out to the kitchen with Mike.

"Morning," he said heading straight for the coffee pot.

"Mornin'," Mike said. "How'd you sleep on that lumpy old couch?"

"Good," Tony said, "real good actually." With no creamer in the house Tony was stuck with milk and sugar. Not his favorite substitute but it would do. He'd spent his whole life adapting to whatever situation he was put into. Once they both had their coffee they headed outside and sat down on the porch.

"So, who ya after or is that top secret too?" Mike asked.

Tony considered the question and decided there was nothing wrong with telling Mike. The man was a formal federal agent and he wasn't divulging any secrets and even more so, Gibbs trusted him and that was good enough for Tony. "Cop killer," he said, "Bradley Shea. Tortured two US Marshals to death."

"He's in San Quintín?"

"Supposedly a tourist saw him at the bar and recognized him from a news broadcast so she called it in," Tony said. "Other than that we don't have much."

"It's a good place to hide," Mike said as Gibbs stepped out onto the porch, "but bad for you guys. There are more than a few ex-cons living in San Quintín and they watch each other's backs. You guys poke around too much up there and your guy'll be gone before you ever lay eyes on him."

"Thanks for the tip, Mike," Gibbs said.

Mike nodded and rose from his seat. "I'm gonna hit the shower," he said before disappearing inside.

Gibbs took Mike's empty seat next to Tony and sipped the coffee in his hand.

"You hear what Mike said?" Tony asked.

"Yep," Gibbs said. "That's one thing I hate about small towns. Everybody's in everybody else's business. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad but it's usually bad."

"So what's the plan?" Tony asked.

"I'm gonna call Miguel and see if he can dig up any employment records or speeding tickets or anything that might give us a clue about where to find Shea," Gibbs said. "We'll head into town, do some research on the plane, try to keep a low profile. Like Mike said, I don't wanna spook him."

He'd known even before Mike had said anything that they would have to be very careful. In small towns, newcomers were looked on with suspicion and two gringos would stick out like a sore thumb. Neither wanted to return home empty handed on their first assignment.

Mike came out of the house after his shower dressed and ready to go. "I'm ready," he said, leaving no room for debate.

"Ready for what?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm going with you," he said. "You need me, Probie. They know me well in San Quintín. I can look around without sticking out like you two."

"You're not going with us," Gibbs said.

"One way or another my date and I are headed to San Quintín today," Mike said, "do a little window shopping, hit the market, you know, stuff like that. A day out of this house always does me good."

"Your date?" Tony asked confused.

Gibbs simply glared at Mike. The man was as stubborn as he was. He knew Mike would end up in town with or without his blessing so he decided to cave and accept the help. "You can go," he said, "but we're playing by my rules now."

"Of course," Mike said. "Go get a shower, DiNozzo. We're gonna be leaving soon."

Tony threw his hands up and looked back and forth between Gibbs and Mike wondering what had just happened and how they were all of a sudden a three man team. Gibbs nodded him off towards the house and he went. The day had taken an unexpected turn. For better or for worse, Tony wasn't sure yet.

* * *

"I don't like him doing our work for us," Tony grumbled as he sat in the passenger seat next to Gibbs. Mike and his date were following behind them in his truck. Camila had been roped into tagging along when she'd stopped by to drop Mike's groceries off.

"He's not doing it for us, he's helping," Gibbs said. "We can't go snooping around. It's too risky. Mike'll blend right in. You and I will work from the plane."

"We shouldn't have told 'em we were just passing through at the bar last night," Tony said. "Then we could be the ones out looking."

"Tony, San Quintín doesn't get tourists," Gibbs said. "The only people here are locals and vacationers passing through."

"You sure Mike knows what he's doing?" Tony asked starting to come to terms with the situation.

"Oh yeah," Gibbs said, "and he's been around long enough everybody knows him. He'll fit right in."

They met up at their plane and prepared Mike and Camila.

"We're gonna give you Tony's phone," Gibbs said showing it to him. "He and I have two way."

"Two way?" Mike asked.

"It's like sophisticated walkie talkies," Gibbs explained. "Just hit this button and you'll automatically be talking to me."

"Only you or can other people listen in?" Mike asked.

"It's a little more secure than regular phones but the signal could still be snatched outta the air if someone wanted to badly enough," Gibbs said.

"I'll talk in code," Mike said happily.

Gibbs just smirked. Sometimes working cases with Mike reminded him of playing Army as a kid but both fully understood the seriousness of the jobs they did. The playful goofiness was a coping mechanism. "You also have an emergency call button," he continued. "Hold this down for three seconds and an alarm will go off on my phone. There's a GPS chip in the phone that we'll be using to track you."

"Will the alarm go off on my phone if I push the button?" Mike asked.

"No," Tony said. "It's pretty much like a silent alarm at a bank."

"And this GPS thing'll tell you exactly where I'm at?" Mike asked.

"Yep," Gibbs said. "We'll be able to follow you without really following you."

"All that capability in this little phone," Mike said. "Can you call people from it too?" he joked.

"You sure you're okay with this, Camila?" Gibbs asked, rolling his eyes at Mike.

"I'm sure," Camila said, "a girl loves to shop, Señor Gibbs." The young woman had an adventurous spirit and trusted both Mike and Gibbs to keep her safe.

Tony gave Mike a small picture of Shea to take with them and they were off. No one would think it odd for them to be window shopping and hanging out around town. Mike occasionally came for a visit when he got lonely on his beach and El Rosario didn't appeal to him. Sometimes residents ofSan Quintín visited El Rosario just for a change in scenery. It was normal to float back and forth between the two towns.

Gibbs and Tony used their plane as a mobile office to track Mike and Camila, call Miguel and search for any electronic traces of criminal had been smart with his electronic trail. He had no credit cards or bank accounts as far as they could find and hadn't been in contact with his family. Those were two of the easiest ways to catch convicts on the run but Gibbs and Tony didn't sign up for easy. They were up for the challenge.

As the morning wore on, boredom started to take over, especially for Tony. There were no leads, no suspects to interview, no phone calls to make, no financial trail to follow, no phone records to trace; there was nothing. Gibbs was studying computer generated images of the different possibilities of how Shea might've changed his appearance and Tony was playing solitaire on one of the laptops but not even that was keeping him occupied.

"LJ."

"Hmm?"

"I'm bored."

"Yeah, this isn't the most exciting case I've ever worked either," Gibbs said.

"Wanna hear a joke?" Tony asked. Gibbs just shrugged and Tony took it as a yes. "What's the difference between light and hard?"

"I don't know, Tony, what?"

"You can sleep with a light on," Tony answered with an amused chuckle. "Get it?"

"Yes, I got it," Gibbs said shaking his head.

"Okay, I got a riddle. What has a shaft, its tip penetrates and it comes with a quiver?"

"Are you gonna sit here and tell me dirty jokes all morning?" Gibbs asked glancing over at Tony.

"It's not dirty!" Tony insisted. "Somebody has a dirty mind or maybe you have sex on the brain. Do you have sex on the brain, LJ?" he asked sitting on the arm of the chair Gibbs was in.

"What's the riddle again?" Gibbs asked, changing the subject back.

Tony repeated the riddle and watched as Gibbs thought it over.

"An arrow," Gibbs answered.

"The quiver thing gave that one away," Tony said. "What goes in long and hard and comes out soft and sticky?"

"Tony," Gibbs scolded.

"Well, yeah, I do but that's not the answer I was thinking of," Tony said amused with his little joke. Gibbs glared him and Tony took the hint. "It's chewing gum," he said as he stood, "just so you know. I'll just leave you to whatever it is you're doing."

Tony returned to his card game on the computer and Gibbs shuffled a few papers before blankly staring at the one he stopped on. He was tired of sitting around, tired of Mike out there doing the legwork and tired of being cramped in the plane but he didn't have any other option. If they made the wrong move they'd return empty handed and that was worse than being idle for a few hours.

By lunchtime things weren't looking too good. Mike and Camila had been all over town and hadn't seen any sign of the fugitive. They grabbed lunch at the local taco shack and headed back to the plane to regroup.

"I'm starving!" Tony said taking the bag of food.

"There're some taquitos and tamales in there for you guys," Mike said. "Nina makes the best Mexican food on the Baja Peninsula. I also got some tacos."

"Thanks," Gibbs said. "We've been keeping track of where you guys have been," he said laying out the marked up map on the table in the middle of their lunch.

"I know where we've been, Probie," Mike said, "'cause I was there!"

"Okay, fine," Gibbs relented, "we've been keeping track of where you need to go."

"I know that too," Mike said around a mouth full of tamale. Gibbs glared across the table at him and Mike just laughed. "Relax, Probie, I'm just messing with you."

"I've been cooped up in this plane all day," Gibbs said. "It's not exactly relaxing."

"Gibbs is a man of action," Mike told Camila.

"Si, I know," Camila teased looking fondly towards Gibbs.

"Hey," Mike objected, "you're supposed to be my date for the day."

Camila laughed and patted Mike's chest as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. "You have some tamale on your lip, date," she said.

"I know," Mike said. "I was saving it for later." He wiped his mouth with his napkin as he turned back to Gibbs. "We're gonna head down to the fish market after lunch. He might be a dock worker. They have no qualms about who they hire as long as the guys work."

"He could be working a farm," Gibbs said, "and he used to work construction so he might've landed a job at the local construction company.

"I know the head of the construction company here," Mike said. "I already talked to him. I only asked vague questions but I don't think Shea's working for him. He's had too many problems with ex-cons stealing his tools and stuff. He stays away from them and he does a decent background check before he hires."

"We went to the market too," Camila added. "Didn't see him."

"If he's out working in the fields we're never gonna find him," Tony said.

"Let's hope he's at the dock," Gibbs said, "'cause we're not having much luck here either."

They finished their lunch then Mike and Camila headed out and Gibbs and Tony settled in for another wait.

"What if he's not at the dock?" Tony asked.

"Then I guess we'll have to stake out the bar," Gibbs said, "but we're gonna have to do it from a distance since we were in there last night."

"I was afraid of that," Tony said.

They didn't have to wait very long before Mike's voice came over the two way on Gibbs' phone. "Jethro," he said.

"Mike," Gibbs said.

"Fishermen had a good catch this morning," Mike said. "You might wanna come down to the dock and check out some of these fish."

"Be right there," Gibbs said smiling over at Tony.

"Let me guess," Tony said, "that's his way of saying Shea's there."

"I hope so," Gibbs said. "Gear up. Let's go."

The two collected their things and headed towards the dock. Mike and Camila were waiting for them in the parking lot of a vacant building on a hill overlooking the dock. Gibbs took the binoculars and headed to the edge of the hill.

"Second dock in," Mike said pointing towards their target. "He's the one behind the table selling the fish. We had a nice chat."

Gibbs looked over at Mike, waiting for an explanation.

"He thinks I wanna be a fisherman in my retirement," Mike said.

The long blonde locks of hair that Shea had in his wanted photo had been trimmed down to a short crop of hair. His muscles hadn't shrunk any and with all the muscular guys surrounding him, Gibbs knew they'd need some backup.

"Where is he?" Tony asked lying on his belly next to Gibbs.

"Second dock in," Gibbs said passing him the binoculars, "behind the table."

Tony spotted their man and smiled. They could get their guy and go home. "Let's go," he said.

"Wait," Gibbs said, "look at those guys around him and he probably has a gun somewhere on his person. If we go in there now things won't end well for us."

"We don't have any backup, LJ," Tony pointed out. "I mean, we have Mike but that still leaves us outnumbered."

"Let me call Miguel," Gibbs said. "Maybe he can spare a few officers. He seemed pretty eager to get this guy off his streets."

Miguel immediately headed out to Gibbs and Tony's location to meet them when he got the phone call. They filled the officer in on what little information they had then the group discussed their options.

"Several Americans work here," Miguel said in Spanish. "I can get a group of guys down here to do a passport check. He's probably here illegally. We can arrest him and hand him off to you guys."

"A passport check," Gibbs replied also speaking Spanish, "is that something you do often?"

"Sometimes," Miguel answered. "It's one of those things we can do if we need a reason to talk to somebody."

"Gets your foot in the door," Gibbs said. He turned and looked at Tony. "What do you think?"

"I think the Federales are bad ass," Tony said. "I'm sure they could take him down but I'm a little worried about collateral damage. You?"

"There's gonna be a risk no matter how we do this," Gibbs pointed out. "A lot of people are home taking their afternoon siesta. I think it's a good opportunity." He and Tony nodded in agreement then turned back to Miguel.

"How fast can you get a team here?" Tony asked in Spanish.

"My people are trained and ready," Miguel said. "I'll go back to the station, brief them and we'll be back within a half an hour."

"We'll stay here and keep an eye on things," Gibbs said. "When you guys go in we'll hang back and watch the perimeter."

"It's a plan," Miguel said before heading off to gather his men.

Gibbs turned to Mike and nodded his head in appreciation with a smile on his face. "Take Camila, you guys get outta here."

"And miss the show?" Mike asked. "We'll watch from up here."

"I don't wanna see you after we get Shea in custody," Gibbs said. "Don't want anybody to come after you in retaliation."

"It was nice to see you, Probie," Mike said. He knew that was Gibbs' way of saying goodbye. Neither of them were good at goodbyes. "DiNozzo, nice to meet you."

"You too, Mike," Tony said. "Thanks for puttin' us up last night."

"Anytime," Mike said.

"Camila, thanks for your help," Gibbs said.

"It was my pleasure," Camila said.

"You keep him outta trouble," Gibbs said nodding towards Mike.

"I do not think that is possible!" Camila said with a laugh.

Gibbs winked at her as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. He and Tony shook hands with Mike then geared up and headed down to the dock's parking lot to wait for Miguel to return.

* * *

Bradley Shea was in the bathroom when he heard the Federales storm the dock. He peeked out the window and saw everybody lined up and the police shouting at them for their passports or IDs. Many ex-cons worked at the dock. The cops could be after any one of them. He had an ID card he'd bought off someone in Juarez just after he'd crossed the border but he decided there was no way he was going out there.

He contemplated hiding out in the bathroom until they left but didn't want to be cornered if they decided to look in there. While the Federales were busy checking passports and IDs, he slipped out of the bathroom and hurried towards the parking lot. He was so busy looking behind him that he didn't notice the two agents waiting for him by his car.

"Bradley Shea," Gibbs said, "Federal Agents, you're under arrest."

"You've got the wrong man, dude," Bradley said. "That's not my name. I got ID."

"Slowly," Tony said when the felon reached around for his wallet.

The man pulled the ID out and handed it to Gibbs.

"Pablo Sanchez," Gibbs said skeptically, reading the name off the ID card. "Tony, how many blonde haired, blue eyed, fair skinned Mexicans do you know?"

"Uh, let me think… none!" Tony said. "Nice try, Shea."

"Hell no!" Shea said throwing a punch at Gibbs as he tried to cuff him.

Gibbs ducked under the punch and Tony wrapped his arms around Shea's midsection and pushed him into his car so hard it knocked the wind out of him. When he tried to throw another punch, Gibbs and Tony worked together to tackle him to the ground so they could subdue him and get the cuffs on him.

With Gibbs' knee in his back and Tony's knee holding his head down, Shea gave up the fight pretty quickly.

"Damn!" Shea screamed angrily. "How'd you find me?"

"Easily," Tony answered and that was all the answer the felon would get. He and Gibbs stood Shea up and patted him down then got him in the back of their car. Gibbs read him his Miranda rights then stepped away to talk to Miguel who was coming out to tell them they hadn't found Shea. When Miguel saw they had their man in custody he returned to the dock to help his men finish up.

"Alright, Pablo, you can fight extradition and hang out here in a Mexican prison or you can return to the states with us," Tony said. "It's totally up to you."

Shea considered his options carefully. The United States would surely sentence him to death for murdering the two Marshals but if he fought extradition he'd be stuck in a Mexican prison which could end up being worse than being on death row. Gangs, drugs and violent criminals could prove to end his life quicker and less humanely and even if they didn't, he'd likely end up back in the US anyways.

Gibbs pounded on the roof of the car startling the prisoner. "Don't have all day, Shea," he fussed.

"I'll go," Shea said clearly not happy with either option.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Rule #12**

Before they could go home, Gibbs and Tony had to drop Shea off with the US Marshals in Houston. Having a dangerous felon handcuffed to the seat made the trip less than enjoyable, mostly because he was doing everything in his power to make them miserable.

"I gotta take a piss," Shea said.

"Hold it," Gibbs replied flatly.

"Can't," Shea said. "I'm about ready to piss my pants."

"Then I guess you're just gonna have to piss your pants," Tony said. There was no way they were letting him out of his seat.

"It'll get on your seat too," Shea pointed out.

"Seat's leather; easy to clean," Gibbs said. "If you wanna sit in your piss we're not gonna try to stop you."

Shea quieted down once he realized he wasn't going to be let up and Gibbs and Tony shared a smile behind his back. The silence didn't last long before Shea was asking to watch TV, listen to music, have a snack, get a drink; anything he could think of. Minus a glass of water that Tony helped him drink, they ignored his requests and used the time to work on their after action reports.

When they finally touched down in Texas, they were more than ready to get Shea off their plane. US Marshals Bridges and Corbin were waiting to take custody of the prisoner.

"Here he is all suntanned and whiny as a little girl," Tony said.

"Fourteen months overdue," Corbin said taking hold of Shea's arm. "We'll take good care of him."

"Did he give you any trouble?" Bridges asked.

"Just his mouth," Gibbs answered.

"He's very needy," Tony said.

"Nobody's gonna cater to him here," Corbin said. "Thanks guys. We really appreciate this."

"Sorry for your loss," Gibbs said. The death of a law enforcement officer was taken personally by all who worked in the field. They may have worked for different agencies but they were still brothers. Bringing Shea to justice would help get some closure.

Gibbs and Tony took full advantage of the bar on the flight back to Hawaii. They toasted to their success and even though the mission was fairly simple they were beaming with pride. They had one case under their belt and had gotten a taste of what their new job was going to be like which made them even more excited about the future.

* * *

Tony woke the following morning refreshed from a good night's sleep and recuperated from the trip to Mexico. He pulled on a pair of red athletic shorts over his boxers and headed into the bathroom to relieve himself then went off in search of Gibbs. His bedroom door was open so Tony knew he was awake but he wasn't in the house. His Jeep way still in the driveway so he hadn't gone anywhere either. Tony looked out at the pool and didn't see him there either. Just as he was getting ready to turn, he saw him sitting on the beach. He headed out and plopped down in the sand next to him.

"Morning," he said.

"Mornin'," Gibbs said. "Sleep well?"

"Oh yeah," Tony said.

"Might sleep better in a bed," Gibbs suggested.

"I like sleeping on the couch," Tony said.

"Why?"

"I dunno," Tony said. "So I can watch TV."

"You can put a TV in your room too, you know," Gibbs pointed out.

"Does it bother you that I sleep on the couch?" Tony asked. "'Cause I'll move if it bothers you."

"Doesn't bother me," Gibbs said. "I'm just curious why you do it."

Tony looked out at the ocean, contemplating what and how much he should tell Gibbs. "I haven't slept in a bed since Wendy left," he finally admitted. "It's too empty, too lonely. I don't know why the couch is any different but it is."

Gibbs acknowledged him with a nod. "I know how that goes," he said. "I slept on the couch for awhile after I lost Shannon—a long while."

Tony nodded as Gibbs took a long drink of his coffee. They'd both known love and lost it. Tony sometimes wondered if it had actually been love and Gibbs wondered if he'd ever find it again.

"Can we talk?" Tony asked.

"We are talking," Gibbs pointed out.

"I mean about other stuff," Tony said.

"Sure. What do you want to talk about?" Gibbs asked.

"I like you, LJ," Tony said a brief pause, "like _really_ like you. I keep asking myself why and what I expect to happen. There's a million what-ifs going through my mind. I've never analyzed an attraction like this before."

"I think it's just infatuation," Gibbs said.

"No," Tony said. "I considered that possibility. It's not." He took a chance and rested his hand on top of Gibbs' in the sand. "This isn't infatuation. It's not convenience. It's not alcohol because I don't have a drop in me."

Gibbs lightly rubbed his thumb over Tony's hand. He liked Tony as well and he'd been struggling with his feelings and his rules. "What do you expect to happen, Tony?" he asked gently.

"You know, I've been trying to figure that out and all I can come up with is I wanna live my life," Tony said. "I wanna take chances just like I've always done. This is a chance and I'm taking it."

"Yeah and what about our jobs?" Gibbs asked trying to be rational.

"What about 'em?" Tony asked. "We'll still be able to do our jobs. We're not a couple of chicks who are gonna let our emotions rule everything and freak out on each other."

"I wouldn't let a 'chick' hear you say that," Gibbs said with a smirk. He stared out at the ocean, thinking about what Tony was saying. "What if things don't work out? We'll still have to work together and for at least the next six months we'll be living together."

"We'll just man up and move on," Tony said. He knew it wouldn't be that easy but he was confident they'd be okay no matter what happened. "I don't see why we couldn't still be friends. Come on, LJ. I know I'm not the only one that wants this. I like you and I know you like me too."

"How do you know I like you?" Gibbs asked looking over at Tony.

"Well, for starters, you're the one that kissed me the other night in the hot tub," Tony said. "I might've egged you on but you did it. Secondly, I saw your boner when you got out before you covered it up with your towel. Thirdly," he leaned closer until he was almost face to face, looking directly into Gibbs' eyes, "I can see it in your eyes, LJ." He leaned closer and brushed his lips lightly over Gibbs'.

Gibbs leaned in, puckering his lips just enough to turn the graze into a kiss. He pulled back and muttered, "This isn't a good idea," before leaning in and kissing Tony again.

"No," Tony said once they pulled apart again. "I've been thinking about this since day one," he said. "I know what I want and as best as I could I've told you how I feel but you gotta figure out how you feel."

"Are you prepared for me to say no?" Gibbs asked going in for another quick peck.

Tony took a moment to think before answering. "I'll be okay with whatever decision you make," he said, "but I prefer it be based on what you want and not some generic rule number whatever."

"Fair enough," Gibbs said capturing Tony's lips one more time, "and it's rule number twelve. Give me some time to think about it?"

Tony nodded as he stood. He was tempted to stay on the beach and hope the kissing led to more but he wanted Gibbs to have the same opportunity he had to figure things out. He may not have been very good at relationships but he knew well thought out decisions led to better long term results than impulsive decisions. He brushed his fingers over Gibbs' shoulder as he walked by. He was ready for his morning coffee and he needed a shower before they got too far into their day.

* * *

Later that morning Gibbs and Tony took the hardtop off the Jeep Wrangler, loaded up all the cardboard boxes they'd broken down days earlier and headed out. They had to get rid of the cardboard, find a hardware store to buy a deadbolt for Gibbs' closet door and wanted to spend some time exploring the island.

The coastal highways had absolutely stunning views. The word breathtaking didn't even come close. Gibbs pulled over at Sunset Beach on the world famous North Shore and they got out. Unlike the more touristy areas there were no wave breaks and there were a lot fewer people on the beach.

Tony kicked his flip flops off and tossed them into the Jeep then made his way into the water. Gibbs removed his socks and shoes and did the same. They were far away from any town that might have a hardware store but they weren't in any rush. Technically they were still in the middle of their ten day setup period.

"This is amazing," Tony said walking out into the water up to his ankles. "I expected Hawaii to be much hotter."

"The humidity's low," Gibbs said, "and we've got the trade winds blowing in."

"It's incredible," Tony said. "I could see myself living here."

"You do live here, Tony," Gibbs pointed out.

"Oh yeah," Tony said with slight chuckle.

Gibbs smirked and shook his head as he leaned down to pick up a seashell from crystal clear water. He took a moment to appreciate the colors and the detail before tossing it back into the water for someone else to find. He didn't have any need for a collection of seashells.

"Incoming," Tony said softly, nodding towards the road. There was a large tour bus pulling over to unload a group of passengers.

"You ready?" Gibbs asked.

"Yep," Tony said. "Let's get outta here."

They headed back to the Jeep and realized they should've packed a towel. Their wet feet were covered in sand that seemed impossible to get off. They continued on their journey barefoot, hoping their feet would dry before their next stop. It wasn't as big of a deal for Tony because he'd worn flip flops but Gibbs didn't have any sandals and putting wet, sandy feet into socks and shoes would be quite uncomfortable.

"Maybe we should get some swimsuits while we're out," Tony suggested after they'd dropped the cardboard off at the recycling plant.

"I need some sandals too," Gibbs said.

"Maybe we can find somewhere that's not overrun with happy vacationers," Tony said.

"Good luck with that," Gibbs said with a laugh.

They found a hardware store near the Army base located pretty much right in the middle of the island. The store clerk pointed them towards the International Marketplace for the best selection and cheapest prices on swimwear. It was in the heart of Waikiki Beach but they knew they couldn't avoid tourists forever so they decided to go check it out.

Once they got to the International Marketplace, they grabbed some lunch at the food cart the hardware store clerk had recommended then looked around a few of the shops and displays. There was an overwhelming amount of shops selling everything imaginable and a lot of things they never would've imagined. They looked through a couple of the clothing shops and Gibbs found a pair of flip flops. Decent swimwear seemed to be a little bit harder to come by unless they were going for loud and gaudy, which they weren't.

Tony found a hemp bracelet he liked and couldn't pass up the one dollar price tag. They found a merchant selling beach towels and both picked oversized, fluffy towels with Hawaiian designs. The prices were ridiculously cheap and although the towels weren't top of the line quality they weren't cheap junk either.

Tucked away in a back corner of the marketplace was a surf shop that looked promising. Gibbs found a pair of navy blue board shorts with a wide stripe of simple Hawaiian flowers running down each side. They were tropical without going overboard. Tony chose a pair of white board shorts with a thick bright blue stripe or Hawaiian flowers running down both sides. They paid for their purchases then made their way back through the market and out to their Jeep. It had definitely been worth the journey.

Back at the house Gibbs worked on installing the deadbolt on his closet door while Tony set up their email addresses. Gibbs said he didn't want anything to do with email and insisted he wasn't going to use it but Tony set it up for him anyways. He was growing accustomed to Gibbs' impatience with computers but at least the man could operate their technologically advanced equipment. Tony couldn't figure that one out but didn't question it.

With another day behind them, Gibbs laid down in the hammock out back and Tony settled on the sectional in front of the TV. He wanted to be outside with Gibbs, wanted to question him, wanted him to hurry up and make a decision but he didn't want to rush him. He was growing anxious and hoping the man would give it a chance but he didn't want to push. He'd said his piece. It was out of his hands.

Gibbs swayed back and forth in the hammock with his eyes closed as he enjoyed the cool night air. He knew Tony was waiting for an answer and he wasn't trying to play some cruel trick on him by making him wait, he just needed some time to figure things out. He'd actually been impressed with the young man's ability to articulate his thoughts on the beach that morning.

He tried to put a finger on his biggest fear and decided it was that things would go bad and they would no longer be able to do their jobs. He didn't want a relationship to cause an injury or even worse, a death. He didn't want either of them to have to forfeit the job either. They were both happy with the compromise between civilian and military life.

He thought about rule twelve and Jenny Shepard. Things had been going so well with her until that last day. That last day, when she'd disappeared and he'd found a Dear John letter in her place, that was when he'd created rule twelve. He realized the rule had been created to protect himself from any further hurt. His whole life it seemed had been nothing but hurt ever since he'd lost Shannon and Kelly.

Even though it was a good general rule, he had to admit he and Jenny had been perfect partners and even better lovers. They'd juggled the two roles with no problem. In the end it was her ambitions that had torn them apart. He wondered what Tony's ambitions were. He didn't see the younger man as the type to be anxious to crawl through the ranks and make it to the top. He saw Tony a lot like he saw himself—he liked to be on the frontlines where all the action was. Deskwork and delegating the 'fun' jobs to someone else didn't appeal to either one of them.

He had to admit he did like Tony. He was good looking and fun to be around. He was damn good at his job and damn good at having fun. He knew when to put his game face on and be serious and he knew when to leave work behind and just be Tony DiNozzo. The attraction definitely went beyond his sun streaked hair and gorgeous green eyes.

He considered what he'd do if he'd met Tony under different circumstances and knew without hesitation that he'd take him home. He thought about why things were different and carefully weighed the risks. It took a couple hours of swaying back and forth in the hammock but in the end his decision was made. He decided to sleep on it and talk to Tony in the morning.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: The Ultimate Partnership**

Gibbs was the first one up the following morning as had come to be the norm. He showered and dressed then headed for the kitchen and whistled as he made a pot of coffee. He'd discovered he liked Hawaiian coffee just as much as the Jamaican blend he drank in DC. It was rich and robust and had a nice strong flavor.

He poured himself a cup and took a drink, letting the scent and familiar taste wake him. He poured a cup for Tony and doctored it up the way he'd seen the younger man do. How anyone could drink something so ridiculously sweet was beyond him. He left the coffee on the bar in the kitchen and headed for the living room. Tony was still fast asleep, burrowed under his quilt with only a few locks of sun streaked hair poking out.

Gibbs pulled the quilt back and looked down at him. It may have been a cliché but Tony really did look peaceful when he was asleep and happy. The same smile that graced his face during the day was there when he slept as well. Gibbs leaned in and kissed him, smiling when he instinctively kissed back even though he was out of it. He kissed him again and Tony got into it more as he started to wake, even chasing Gibbs' lips as he pulled away.

"Come have some coffee with me," Gibbs said softly.

Considering the way Gibbs woke him up, Tony guessed he'd made his decision and that's what he wanted to talk about. He also guessed he was going to like the answer. Normally he would've been grumpy at being disturbed before he was ready to wake up but he couldn't get up fast enough. He pulled his shorts on and after a quick stop in the bathroom he found Gibbs in the kitchen offering him a coffee cup.

"You, uh, you made me coffee?" he asked unable to hide the worry in his voice. He'd had a sip of Gibbs' coffee before by mistake and it wasn't exactly something he wanted to try again.

"Trust me," Gibbs said.

Tony took the cup and saw obvious signs of creamer. He took a sip and found it to his liking. "Mmm, thanks," he said.

They sat down at the kitchen island and quietly sipped their drinks for a few long minutes before Tony spoke up.

"So, is there something you wanted to talk about?" he asked.

Gibbs looked over at Tony and the seriousness set in his face made the younger man worry slightly. "I don't share, Tony," he said. Mister party boy who'd stripped and streaked in front of large crowds had to know that right up front.

"I don't either, LJ," Tony said, the seriousness in his tone matching Gibbs'.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm positive," Tony answered. He reached over and brushed his fingertips lightly across Gibbs' forearm. "Are you sure? I mean, what about the rule twelve thing?"

"Couple years back I was working undercover ops in Europe for NCIS," Gibbs said. "My partner and I were in love, well, I thought we were in love. Time came to return home. I woke to a note on her pillow. I guess she loved her job more."

"So rule twelve was to protect yourself from more heartache," Tony concluded. "I'm not gonna hurt you, LJ. You won't wake up and find a note on my pillow. I couldn't live with myself if I did something like that to anybody. I've had one night stands but this is totally different. When I break up with someone, it happens face to face, no matter how uncomfortable it is."

Gibbs rested his hand against Tony's cheek and Tony leaned into his touch. "I don't bottom, ever," he said softly.

"I'm cool with that," Tony said with a smile. He took Gibbs' hand and pressed a kiss to his palm before putting it back on his cheek. "This is so much more than sex for me, LJ, but damn I want you bad."

Gibbs went in for an open mouthed kiss, leading with his tongue. Tony slipped off the barstool and moved closer to Gibbs, his hands resting on the man's sides as their tongues battled for dominance. Tony was desperate to explore Gibbs' mouth but he conceded and let Gibbs' explore his first. The exploration continued until they broke apart panting.

"Make me fly, LJ," Tony whispered into Gibbs' ear before kissing and nipping at his earlobe. When he ran his tongue over the sensitive skin just behind Gibbs' ear he felt the hands on his sides tighten and heard the soft moan escape Gibbs' mouth.

Gibbs pulled Tony closer to him and Tony kissed his way down Gibbs' neck and across his jaw line before making it to his mouth. Gentle pecks turned passionate and Tony took his turn exploring Gibbs' mouth as Gibbs explored Tony's upper body with his hands.

By the time they broke apart again, both of them were breathing heavy. Tony's hands roamed from Gibbs' cheeks down to his neck, gliding across his firm chest and scraping at his nipples before moving lower. Gibbs' abs were muscular under his fingers and his bellybutton was perfect. Tony wanted to take the time to appreciate every part of him but he was also anxious to get to his target. He traced his finger down the neatly trimmed line of hair that led from his bellybutton to the top of his shorts.

Gibbs leaned in for another kiss as Tony's hand found his aching cock; a hungry, sloppy, wet kiss. His hand moved across Tony's abs, down to the front of his shorts. Tony moaned and rocked into him as Gibbs rubbed his length. They pulled back from another kiss, both trying to catch their breath as they rubbed, tugged and squeezed at each other.

Tony's lowered Gibbs' zipper, unable to wait any longer. He reached in and freed Gibbs' cock, staring at it in awe. "You're uncut," he observed as he stroked the loose skin away from Gibbs' cock head.

Gibbs' fingers dug into Tony's flesh at the stimulation. It had been awhile since he'd been touched with hands as skilled as Tony's. The squeezing, twisting and rubbing had Gibbs' eyes rolling back in his head and his breath coming out in short, sharp pants.

"Bedroom," Gibbs muttered. He knew if Tony kept it up much longer things would end much too soon for his liking.

Tony paused in the living room to grab the condom out of his wallet while Gibbs searched the kitchen cabinets for the cooking oil. He wasn't exactly prepared so they'd have to get creative. If he was going to make Tony fly as he'd promised he could, he'd need lube.

Tony met Gibbs in the hallway leading to the master bedroom and pulled him into another kiss. He'd already removed his shorts and Gibbs took full advantage, wrapping his hand around Tony's leaking cock and delivering long, tight strokes. They made their way into the master bedroom, pausing to kiss, grab and rub each other along the way.

"I grabbed the condom out of my wallet," Tony said handing it to Gibbs.

"This'll have to work as lube," Gibbs said holding the oil up. He unfastened his shorts and let them fall to the floor, followed quickly by his boxers then went after Tony for another quick kiss. He couldn't keep his mouth off of him.

"Lie down," Gibbs said motioning towards the bed.

Tony hurried onto the bed; his legs spread wide and his dick painfully aroused as he waited impatiently for Gibbs. He hadn't been with anyone since his engagement to Wendy ended. He missed the physical connection.

Gibbs retrieved a towel and tossed it to Tony to put under his ass so they didn't get oil all over the sheets. It was a minor inconvenience that would save them some frustration later on. Oil was nearly impossible to get out of most fabrics. They'd definitely have to go get some real lube.

"I'm clean," Tony offered as Gibbs climbed into bed and settled between his legs, "just so you know."

"Me too," Gibbs said.

Tony found Gibbs' touch surprisingly gentle as he stretched him. He wasn't expecting the man to just rip him open but the calloused fingers digging impatiently at his skin only moments ago had calmed. Tony was eager and his body was relaxed so it took little effort to prepare him. Gibbs rolled the condom on himself, rubbed a little oil on his cock then lined himself up.

"Do it," Tony pleaded softly.

Gibbs' eyes met Tony's as he pushed the tip of his cock in. Despite the urge to close his eyes at the discomfort, Tony kept them open and on Gibbs the whole time. His hands fisted into the sheets and he clenched his jaw as Gibbs pushed in further and further.

"Deep breaths," Gibbs instructed as he bottomed out. He leaned over and took Tony's mouth in kiss, stilling his body to give Tony a chance to adjust to the invasion. After a long passionate kiss came a series of quick pecks as Gibbs started easing himself in and out.

Tony's fists unclenched from the sheets as Gibbs' strokes lengthened. His hands found Gibbs' chest and his fingers explored the scars and found each of his ribs as he brushed them through the silver hairs. He wanted to touch everywhere, find all Gibbs' weak spots, all the spots that made him moan with desire.

Gibbs looked down over Tony's body as he hovered above him, finding his rhythm in and out. The black hairs on Tony's chest were just a little thicker than his own, his shoulders and arms were sculpted beautifully, his perfect cock was lying across his muscular abdomen and all of it was on display for him.

Tony reached for his cock but Gibbs smacked his hand away with a growl. "Not yet," he said. "I'll take care of you."

Tony dropped his hands to the bed and rested them against Gibbs' knees just to have more contact. He relaxed into the sensations taking over every part of his body. As soon as Gibbs saw Tony start settling in, he angled his strokes upwards just enough to brush against Tony's prostate and watched as Tony's eyes closed involuntarily and he practically melted into the mattress. Tony opened his mouth to say something but no sound came out.

"Like that?" Gibbs asked with a satisfied smirk.

Tony was beyond words as Gibbs repeatedly brushed against his sweet spot. His fingers dug into Gibbs' knees, hoping he would never stop. He desperately wanted to grab his cock and finish himself off but Gibbs' words echoed in his head and the promise of what was to come was too alluring.

Gibbs watched as Tony's face contorted in pleasure at the sensations overtaking his body. Before pleasure could turn to torture, he gave Tony's cock some attention. Tony just about came unglued at the added stimulation, letting out a long, low guttural moan.

It didn't take much of Gibbs' skillful strokes to push Tony past the point of no return. Tony grunted and moaned as Gibbs pumped in perfect rhythm with his own cock, adding a little twist to push Tony over the edge. He came with a strangled groan and Gibbs continued stroking and squeezing until he'd milked every last drop out of him.

He leaned down and kissed a perfectly satisfied Tony as he quickened his strokes. He felt Tony's hands brushing up his sides before coming to a rest on his chest. Their eyes met and then their lips in another brief kiss as Gibbs felt himself starting to lose control. His thrusts became erratic and he felt his balls drawing up moments before he exploded inside Tony with a series of grunts.

Tony watched the intimate display with a lazy smile on his face as his fingers rubbed at Gibbs' chest and sides. Gibbs continued rocking in and out of Tony until he went limp then leaned in for a kiss before collapsing onto Tony. After he caught his breath, he eased himself out and rolled over onto the bed next to Tony.

Tony decided it was Gibbs' turn to be taken care of so he took care of the condom then disappeared into the bathroom and returned a moment later with a warm, wet washcloth. Gibbs closed his eyes and relaxed as Tony took his time cleaning him up. Once Tony was done he tossed the washcloth across the room into the laundry hamper then watched, assuming Gibbs had drifted off to sleep.

There may have been no such thing as perfect but looking down at the naked body sprawled out in front of him made Tony seriously doubt that theory. Gibbs' core was strong, his muscles tight, his build firm. His arms were held as much power as his core, the muscles clearly visible. His long fingers were one of Tony's favorite features. Tony had a thing about hands and Gibbs had some of the nicest hands he'd ever seen before.

Tony's eyes traveled down Gibbs' happy trail to his other favorite feature—the powerful, uncut cock resting against his body. The fact that Gibbs was uncut had come as a surprise to Tony, a pleasant surprise despite the tinge of jealousy he felt.

"I can feel you staring," Gibbs muttered startling Tony.

Tony smiled as he reached out and rested a hand on Gibbs' abs. He wanted to touch so much more but knew neither of them were quite ready for another round yet. Gibbs opened his eyes and propped his head up on his hands so he could see Tony better and the two just looked at each other.

"How was it?" Gibbs asked.

"You were right," Tony said, "the other guy wasn't doing it right. I've never experienced anything like that before."

Gibbs moved one of his hands to Tony's cheek and guided him down for a kiss. After a slow, passionate kiss, Tony propped himself up on one elbow and stretched out next to Gibbs. He brushed his fingers through Gibbs' chest hair, running his hands over the firm muscles.

"I wanna touch you everywhere, LJ," Tony said softly.

Gibbs brought his hand up and ran his fingers through Tony's hair and Tony leaned in for another kiss. He couldn't get enough of Gibbs' lips on his. He'd never been so turned on just by kissing someone before.

"I wanna kiss you everywhere, LJ," Tony said softly, mimicking his previous statement. He kissed behind Gibbs' ear then licked the spot he'd found earlier and the moan he received in return went straight to his groin. Despite having just cum not too long ago, he was already aroused and his dick was beginning to fill again.

With Gibbs' fingers gliding through Tony's hair and Tony's fingers coasting over Gibbs' chest, their mouths met in another kiss. Instead of the rough and hungry kisses from earlier, they took their time pecking and nibbling, brushing their tongues together and tasting each other. Tony's fingers found Gibbs' nipples and he rubbed and squeezed them into hard peaks as he rocked his hardening cock into Gibbs' hip.

Tony leaned down and sucked on one of Gibbs' nipples as his hand moved further south to find Gibbs' cock was starting to get hard again too. "Quick recovery time," he said smiling up at Gibbs before moving onto his other nipple.

"When I'm this turned on," Gibbs said rubbing his hand over Tony's back all the way down to squeeze his ass then back up again.

Tony licked, sucked and flicked one of Gibbs' nipples with his tongue while he rubbed and pinched the other one. He rolled over on top of Gibbs and let their cocks rub together. Both were getting harder and harder as the stimulation increased.

"I have another condom in my duffel," Tony said once he released Gibbs' nipple.

"You always carry around this many condoms?" Gibbs asked rocking his hips up towards Tony.

"I try to make sure I'm prepared for any situation," Tony said looking into Gibbs' eyes.

"Well there's one in my wallet on the nightstand," Gibbs said, "unless you want to run out to the living room."

"Not if I don't have to," Tony said with a grin as he went after another kiss.

Gibbs rolled them over so he was on top and took Tony's mouth in a demanding kiss. He rocked his hips, letting their cocks brush against each other.

"LJ, please," Tony begged in a strangled moan.

"Please what?" Gibbs asked seemingly in perfect control.

"Please, I want you inside me again," Tony said.

Gibbs wrapped his hand around both their cocks and stroked them together. He was hard enough he could've entered Tony again but he wanted to extend the foreplay and he loved hearing Tony beg for him. Tony dropped his head onto the pillow with a long moan as he bucked into Gibbs.

Gibbs leaned over and sucked and bit at Tony's nipple then licked to soothe gentle bite as he continued working their cocks together. He gave the other nipple the same treatment before kissing and nipping at Tony's collarbone and up his neck. He kissed his way across Tony's jaw line then took his mouth in a kiss.

"LJ," Tony pleaded when they broke apart.

Gibbs silenced him with another demanding kiss before he could say more. Tony wrapped his arms around Gibbs and rolled them back over so he was on top again and back in control. He framed Gibbs' face with his hands, kissing him passionately and thrusting his tongue into Gibbs' mouth before Gibbs could beat him to it.

After exploring Gibbs' mouth, Tony kissed his way across Gibbs' jaw and down his neck as his hand roamed Gibbs' abs before making it down to his very hard cock.

"I've never been so turned on in my life," Tony said.

Gibbs raked his fingers over Tony's nipples making the younger man arch into his touch. Tony decided he couldn't wait any longer. He leaned over and retrieved the condom from the wallet on the nightstand and rolled it on Gibbs then lubed him up with the oil. Gibbs propped the pillows behind him so he was leaning up far enough he could see everything but was still comfortable. Tony rubbed the tip of Gibbs' cock against his hole to get himself lubed up then pushed it inside.

Gibbs just relaxed into the bed and let Tony do all the work. He was still sensitive from his previous orgasm which made the stimulation electrifying. His fear of not being able to cum again so soon vanished. He rested his hands on Tony's sides to help steady him and watched the concentration on Tony's face as he impaled himself.

"Oh, LJ, yeah… yes, oh yes." Tony was huffing and panting as he sank down. He couldn't remember his cock ever being so hard. It was sticking straight out in front of him, rubbing against Gibbs' belly as he rocked back and forth onto his cock.

Gibbs ran his hand slowly down Tony's chest but avoided touching his cock. He was going to have so much fun torturing him. He tweaked his nipples, pulling another moan from the younger man. "So responsive," he praised. He was quickly learning how sensitive Tony's body was and he loved it. It didn't matter where or how he touched him, he always got a reaction.

"Touch me, LJ," Tony begged.

"You're so impatient," Gibbs teased softly.

"Horny," Tony grunted, grinding wildly against Gibbs trying to get some friction against his aching dick, "not impatient."

Gibbs ran his hands down Tony's sides and around behind him to squeeze his ass. Tony slowed his strokes slightly and watched his cock rub against Gibbs' stomach. He leaned over and gave Gibbs a series of pecks on the lips as the intensity grew.

He was about ready to curse Gibbs when the man finally touched him—light, loose strokes at first then tugging against his full length. Tony's breathing deepened and his grinding became less voluntary and even more desperate. He wasn't pulling out but the rubbing and rocking was providing plenty of stimulation right on his prostate gland. He'd never felt anything like it before. He didn't know if he wanted to freeze and never let that sensation leave or finish in a mind blowing climax.

Gibbs made the decision for him when he squeezed Tony's balls, applying just right amount of pressure. A sharp moan followed by his name, told Gibbs that Tony was right on the verge. He angled his hips just barely, rubbing against his prostate even more and that was all it took. Gibbs rubbed the area just behind Tony's balls, drawing out his climax and pulling moan after beautiful moan from his lips.

Tony was beyond words and unable to think straight. He felt completely drained after what he was sure was the most intense orgasm of his entire life. He let Gibbs pull him down against his chest so he had more control and could finish himself off. As clarity returned, Tony started matching Gibbs' strokes. He kissed and nipped at Gibbs' ear, smiling at the resulting moan. He kissed his neck and shoulder as he ran his hand down Gibbs' powerful core.

It wasn't long before Gibbs started feeling imminent signs of his impending orgasm. His breathing turned to panting and he felt the tingle at the base of his spine and knew it was all over. He squeezed Tony's ass and Tony licked behind his ear as he exploded inside him with a satisfied groan. Gibbs continued rocking his hips until it felt like there was nothing left inside him.

"It's been awhile since I've cum a second time so soon after the first," Gibbs admitted once his breathing slowed and the haze passed.

"I've never experienced such an intense, full body orgasm," Tony said. "Especially that second one. You can do that to me any time."

"You're gonna have to wait," Gibbs said with a laugh. Twice was doable, three times wasn't.

"I don't want to wait," Tony said, knowing full well his body needed a rest as well.

"I'll make it worth your while," Gibbs promised.

Gibbs rolled out of bed and retrieved a washcloth to clean them up then climbed back in bed. It was time for a rare midmorning nap for both of them. He spooned against Tony's back and Tony nestled in. Tony was out in less than a minute and after pressing a kiss to the back of Tony's neck, Gibbs laid his head down and joined him in sleep. Fears and anxieties of mixing business with pleasure were being replaced with excitement for the possibilities of what was ahead. The two of them had the ultimate partnership.

**The End**

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**Author's Note:** That's all for the first story in this series. I'll start posting the next story tomorrow. Thanks for all the reviews, favorites and follows!


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